This invention relates to polyurethane polymers prepared from active hydrogen-containing materials which contain dissolved or dispersed reinforcing polymers.
Various polymers are prepared from compounds and polymers which contain a plurality of active hydrogen atoms. Principal among these polymers are the polyurethanes and polyureas. In preparing these polymers, it is normally desirable to obtain the best possible physical properties. For example, when a flexible polymeric foam is prepared, it is often desirable to produce a foam which has good load-bearing, resiliency and tensile properties.
The materials most commonly used in preparing polyurethanes and/or polyureas are polyethers and polyesters which contain two or more active hydrogen-containing groups. Although excellent polymers, both cellular and noncellular, are produced therefrom, it is desirable in certain instances to further improve their properties. One known method of improving the properties of polyurethanes made from polyethers or polyesters is to employ a dispersion of polymer particles in a continuous polyether or polyester polyol phase. These so-called polymer polyols or copolymer polyols contain addition polymers, polyurea or polyurethane-urea particles, or other polymers dispersed in the polyol as a plurality of colloidal (10-1000 nm) particles. The dispersed particles have been shown to improve various properties of the resulting cellular polyurethane and/or polyurea, and often perform a cell-opening function in the production of polyurethane and/or polyurea foam.
However, even with the use of a polymer polyol, improvement in certain properties of the polyurethane and/or polyurea polymer is desired. In particular, it is desirable to provide a cellular polyurethane and/or polyurea having high load bearing. In addition, a foam having a high modulus as defined later is also desirable. Such foams are particularly suitable for automobile or other seating, in which the foam desirably feels soft as one sits on it, yet provides sufficient support for adequate comfort.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a polyurethane and/or polyurea polymer having improved physical properties and to provide an active hydrogen-containing composition which reacts with a polyisocyanate to produce a polyurethane and/or polyurea polymer having improved properties.